Report of the District of Columbia Bar Court Funding Committee: Conclusions

Conclusions and Recommendations
The Committee finds that the Courts in the District of Columbia have been plagued with funding problems for several years in a row. The Committee finds that these problems have been very serious, and without constant vigilance, will threaten the Courts' ability to administer justice. The Committee finds, in addition, that these problems are likely, if not addressed on an on-going basis, to impact the quality of the representation given to indigent defendants.
The Committee believes the D.C. Bar has an obligation to speak on the issue of court funding, and to do so in the context of specific legislation proposed to or pending before Congress. Therefore, the Committee recommends that the Board of Governors seek the necessary authority from the membership of the D.C. Bar. Because difficulty in securing adequate funding resources is a recurring problem, the Committee recommends that the Board of Governors seek multiyear authority to speak out on this issue of adequate funding for our Courts.